This invention relates to strain relief connectors, generally, and, more specifically, to an improved connector for securing an electrical cable or cord in a through hole of an electrical fixture, such as a junction or outlet box.
In industrial settings, electrical cords are subject to rough treatment due to the hostile environment of the workplace. It is necessary, therefore, to provide a connector which will prevent pull-out of the cord from the electrical fixture. It is also necessary to provide a liquid-tight seal to prevent liquids and other foreign matter in the environment from entering the inside of the fixture.
Generally, prior art devices use a pair of screwthreadably engaged pieces having a bore, through which the cord is inserted. Located between the cord and the two screwthreadably engaged pieces is a flexible member, such as a grommet. When the two mating pieces are tightly screwed together, the flexible grommet is radially and axially deformed into engagement with the cord. The grommet functions to seal and grip the cord to prevent pull-out of the cord from the electrical fixture.
No adequate connector has been developed which can simply but effectively form a secure liquid-tight coupling between the cord and the electrical fixture. The known connectors employ a relatively high number of parts which are cumbersome to assemble and which do not effectively grip and seal the cord. Moreover, the metal parts used in many of the known connectors require machining, thus substantially increasing the cost of manufacture.